Some printers use UV curable inks to print on articles and objects. UV curable inks are applied onto the article or object and a UV light source is used to cure the ink. The UV light source may be used to initiate a photochemical reaction that generates a crosslinked network of polymers. In other words, the ink is not simply “dried” where solvent is evaporated from the ink. Rather, the UV ink is cured such that the polymers in the UV ink undergo a chemical reaction to link or bond to the article or object.
Although UV inks contain little or no solvent, the UV inks may still emit some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) if the UV ink is not completely cured. VOCs are considered to have a negative impact on the environment and the end user. Furthermore, if the UV ink is not completely cured, the UV ink that is printed onto the article or object may be wiped off.